CAMPAIGNERS have pledged to mount a legal challenge against a plan by Shropshire Council to move the library from Church Stretton town centre to the school.
The Church Stretton Library Support Group says it has completed its detailed case against Shropshire Council and its decision to relocate the library to the edge of town and is now ready to join with library users to go to court to challenge the relocation decision.
Campaigners have spent hundreds of hours talking to local residents, organising a petition, running public meetings, and a drop-in session and are confident that it is representing the majority opinion in Church Stretton which is that the library should stay where it is.
The Library Support Group has secured the services of Michael Imperato of Watkins and Gunn who specialises in this kind of work.
They have also secured the services of Nick Brown of Doughty Chambers in London one of Britain’s top QC’s working in public law.
“We do not want to pursue Shropshire Council in the courts but we have exhausted every other opportunity for taking part in a meaningful democratic process that takes local residents and library users seriously and recognises that they are equal partners in decision making,” said Felicity Thomas of the Library Support Group.
“The whole process to date has been a top-down imposition of a deeply flawed idea and the rejection of an offer by our group to work with the council, keep the library where it is and deliver a community library run by the community.”
Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for libraries, said: “Shropshire Council has received a pre-action protocol letter from a solicitor acting on behalf of a representative of the Church Stretton Library Support Group and we have responded to that letter.”